Nxp B.v.

Kiran B Gopal

Taede Smedes

Marcin Grad

Paul Hendrik Cappon

Sunil Kasanyal

As disclosed herein, a level shift circuit includes devices that are responsive to an ESD signal for placing those devices in a specific condition in response to the ESD signal indicating an ESD event. In some embodiments, the devices are transistors in current paths that are placed in a condition such that during an ESD event, voltage differentials in the current paths across voltage domain boundaries do not damage the circuitry of the level shift circuit. In some embodiments, some of the same devices that are responsive to the ESD event are also responsive to a signal to that detects the absence of a power supply voltage of one of the domains and places those devices in a condition to disable the level shift circuit if the power supply voltage is not present.

Level shifter with ESD protection

There is described a driver circuit for a single wire protocol slave unit, the driver circuit comprising (a) at least one current mirror comprising a first transistor (MP, MN) and a second transistor (MP, MN), wherein the gate of both transistors is connected to a bias node (PBIAS, SBIAS), and wherein the second transistor is adapted to conduct a mirror current (I, IOUT) equal to a current (I, I) conducted by the first transistor multiplied by a predetermined factor, (b) a bias transistor (MP, MN) for selectively connecting and disconnecting the bias node to and from a predetermined potential (VDD, GND) in response to a control signal (ABUF, AN), and (c) a current boosting element for providing a boost current (IP, IP) to the bias node for a predetermined period of time when the control signal causes the bias transistor to disconnect the bias node from the predetermined potential. There is also described a universal integrated circuit card device comprising a driver circuit.

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Bengaluru, India

Kiran B Gopal